Characteristics of an EffectiveFraming
- The things that concern people—that they consider valuable—are reflected in the options for action, and the actions follow logically from people’s concerns.
- The tensions that exist between the advantages and disadvantages of each option, tensions that require making tradeoffs, are clear. And the framework as a whole does not lend itself to selecting “all of the above” because that avoids confronting and working through conflicts.
- The consequences that might follow from actions to solve a problem are also described in terms of their effects on the things people hold dear, not just in practical terms of costs and other measures of feasibility.
- The actors who should take action include citizens and the work they must do together or collectively (not just as individuals). The framework also recognizes governmental, nongovernmental, and for-profit actors.
- An effective framework recognizes unpopular points of view.
- Each option is presented best foot forward; that is, in the most positive light, and then negative consequences are described with equal fairness. This ensures the “fair trial” that people look for. If the framing seems to favor one particular option, people will feel manipulated.
- The pros of one option are not the cons of another. Each option needs to be considered in light of its own advantages and disadvantages. Otherwise, the framing truncates the process of decision making.
- An effective framework does not prompt the usual conversations; it disrupts old patterns and opens new conversations. So a framework for public deliberation should not replicate the prevailing academic, professional, or partisan framework. It should reflect where citizens are in thinking about an issue, wherever that may be; it should start where people start.
- An effective framework often leaves people stewing because they are more aware of the undesirable effects of the options they like most. The tensions or tradeoffs are clear, authentic, and unavoidable because they are needed to produce the learning that choice work is intended to prompt.